Dark Horse Solicitations, March 2009

Dark Horse has provided CBR News with covers and solicit information for products shipping March, 2009. When you're through checking out these solicitations, be sure to visit CBR's Indie Comics Forum and discuss these Dark Horse releases with fellow readers.

Riding high on the success of The Great Outdoor Fight, Achewood and Dark Horse Comics have compiled an extensively annotated collection of the first few years' worth of Achewood comics. This is no mere companion volume to the cult-classic online strip: the entire prehistory of Achewood is set forth for the first time, and all of the celebrated alt-texts are included. Additionally, author Chris Onstad has literally littered the book with observations and rudities. Time magazine named back-to-back Ignatz Award-winner Achewood its 2007 Graphic Novel of the Year, and legions of devoted fans consistently report that it makes them feel the way Bloom County and Calvin and Hobbes did when they were young.

- Achewood was Time magazine's #1 Graphic Novel of 2007 when it was online only!

Twenty years to the month after its original Comico publication, Dark Horse is proud to re-present The Amazon, some of the earliest work from acclaimed writer Steven T. Seagle and superstar artist Tim Sale!

The Amazon Jungle is among the most ancient and biologically diverse places on earth, but it's being plundered for its resources and destroyed at a rate of thousands of acres a day. Reporter Malcolm Hillard travels to this remote land of mystery to investigate the disappearance of an American worker and sabotage at a timber site. Locals tell him it is the work of spirits of the Amazon, but Malcolm doesn't believe in anything like that--until he sees something he can't explain deep in the jungle.

- This remastered edition has been scanned from Tim Sale's original artwork and recolored by Matt Hollingsworth, with a new cover by Sale and Dave Stewart!

APPLEGEEKS VOLUME 1: FRESHMAN YEAR

Ananth Panagariya (W) and Mohammad F. Haque (A)

On sale May 27FC, 184 pages$14.95TPB, 7" x 9"

Jayce, an introspective writer, and Hawk, an excitable artist and inventor, have unofficially taken up residence in the home of sweet and thoughtful Alice and hard-drinking, hard-smoking, hard-hitting Gina. The foursome's busy trying to figure out what to do with the rest of their lives, and how the heck to fit their college classes in around marathon video-game sessions, visits to the comic shop, and offbeat road trips, but when Hawk gets fed up with constantly striking out with women and decides to create the perfect girlfriend in his basement lab, passing classes suddenly becomes the least of the group's worries! If Hawk's project is a success, will his creation be content with being the perfect girlfriend, or will she have dreams of her own? And . . . uh . . . how many more things is she going to blow up?

- Dark Horse Comics is proud to bring the hit webcomic Applegeeks (applegeeks.com) off of the net and into print! Our first volume, Applegeeks: Freshman Year, will include the first two years' worth of Applegeeks comics, as well as extensive creator commentary, a pinup gallery, and lots of other great bonus material.

- Applegeeks.com receives an average of 250,000 unique visitors a month, and over 1,000,000 page views a month!

- This popular webcomic will appeal to fans of Megatokyo, Penny Arcade, Mac Hall, and PvP.

BERSERK VOLUME 29

Kentaro Miura (W/A)

On sale May 27B&w, 216 pages$13.95TPB, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4"

Guts, the Black Swordsman, and his companions have finally broken free of the monster-infested wilderness and arrived at the port city of Vritannis. But the band finds out all too quickly that humans can be just as monstrous as the nightmarish creatures and apostles they battled in the forest. As Schierke and Isidro face off against pirate slavers, Farnese's power-hungry family tries to force her once again under the yoke of their political ambitions. The group's only hope is to find a ship out of the city, but even if they manage to secure a vessel, will everyone be free to leave?

- Each volume of Berserk comes shrink-wrapped and carries an 18+ content advisory.

- "Berserk is as shocking and unique as ever this far into the series. There are few titles out there that can sustain the level of intensity and relevance as this." --AnimeOnDVD.com

- " . . . you'll want to start from the beginning and follow this masterwork all the way through . . ." -- Advanced Media Network

BLOOD+: ADAGIO VOLUME 1

Kumiko Suekane (W/A)

On sale May 6b&w, 192 pages$10.95TPB, 5" x 7"

On the eve of the Russian Revolution, our favorite Chiropteran-hunting duo masquerades as members of Tsar Nicholas Romanov's royal chamber orchestra. Saya begins to uncover some of the strange secrets of the Romanov royal family and--of course--finds some hideous Chiropteran beasts that are doing a little masquerading of their own. Despite being one of the Chiropteran "originals," Saya's devoted her life to eradicating the wilder, more vicious Chiropteran spawn who prey on humanity, and this short series embraces the same mix of action, humor, and horror.

- Look for the five-volume Blood+ manga series and the Blood and Blood+ novels--also released by Dark Horse!

- Kumiko Suekane explores the mythos further with this two-volume prequel series!

- The first three volumes of Blood+ manga have sold over 52,000 copies!

BORIS KARLOFF TALES OF MYSTERY ARCHIVES

Various (W/A)

On sale May 12FC, 256 pages$49.95HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

A circus performer terrorized by mysterious powers from beyond . . . a jade idol of a monkey that carries a curse on a South Pacific island drives a man to the brink of madness . . . an art gallery haunted by paintings that come to life at night . . . a dictator who sees enemies around every corner, but who can't see the threat right before his eyes.

As Johann faces the fight of his life, Abe and Kate learn the story of Victorian occultist Martin Gilfryd's transformation into Memnan Saa, the prophesied king of Hyporborea who would "tame fire to breed dragons."

Written by Mike Mignola and John Arcudi, and drawn by Guy Davis, B.P.R.D.: The Black Goddess follows The Warning as part two of a trilogy that pulls together threads from the beginning of the series--and leaving the B.P.R.D. and the world forever changed.

The team tracks down the mysterious gentleman who's been appearing in Liz's visions, but soon find themselves in over their heads when old enemies--from the frog creatures, to the Black Flame, to the last denizens of Hyperborea--descend to lay waste to the world.

- B.P.R.D.: The Warning is the first of three explosive arcs pulling together threads from throughout the series--and leaving the B.P.R.D. and the world forever changed.

- "This latest spinoff from Mignola's Hellboy franchise continues the high level of modern weird tales-influenced chills and adventure and at times even manages to outstrip its source . . ."

--from a review of a previous volume of B.P.R.D. in Publishers Weekly

BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD VOLUME 3

Mi-Kyung Yun (W/A)

On sale May 12b&w, 192 pages$9.95TPB, 5 3/4" x 8 1/4"

Humor, drama, and a bit of horror combine, as human bride Soah tries to uncover the truth behind her strange husband's predicament and his previous wife's early, brutal demise. While Huye distracts her with flirtations and the dreadful goddess Murah becomes increasingly jealous, strong-willed Soah is determined to find out why her powerful, moody husband is cursed to live in the form of a little boy during the day, returning to his true, adult body at night. Soah's inner strength and determination saved her village from drought and famine in previous volumes--now she must pit her guts and guile against the unpredictable elemental gods in order to find happiness in the new world she's trapped in.

- Bride of the Water God, with its enchanting, romantic storyline and elaborate, breathtaking artwork, was the top-selling shojo manhwa in Korea in 2006.

- Fans familiar with Korean publications will be pleased to note that Dark Horse's editions are the same A5 trim size as the originals and reproduce four pages per volume in lavish full color.

Willow and Buffy head to New York City to unlock the secrets of Buffy's mysterious scythe, when something goes terribly awry. Buffy is propelled into a dystopian future where there's only one Slayer--Fray, the title character of Joss Whedon's 2001 series, the first comic he ever wrote. Their uneasy alliance falls apart, leading to the death of a major character from the TV series, while back in the twenty-first century, the Scotland base falls prey to a mystical bomb courtesy of the Biggest Bad--Twilight.- The first two volumes of Buffy Season Eight have combined to sell over 160,000 copies!

- Includes the highly anticipated Buffy/Fray crossover, "Time of Your Life," and "After These Messages . . . We'll Be Right Back," written by Jeph Loeb (Batman: The Long Halloween)!

- "Joss Whedon, the man, the myth, the legend, writes the comic with the same genius as he did the show. The art, penciled by Georges Jeanty, is as faboo as the writing." -Janet Evanovich, New York Times best-selling author of Hard Eight

In the midst of a blood-drenched mystery, a picture is beginning to emerge from a veritable Rorshach test of evidence. And in one suburban neighborhood, a weird event in a dark alley leads to the revelation of a secret the world isn't ready to learn. A massive blood spill reveals the existence of something previously unknown--a person or a thing that lives on mass quantities of blood of all different ages and types. Robert Bellarmine is the man who sees this picture taking shape, and when a little neighborhood boy goes missing, Bellarmine knows it's only a matter of time before the boy becomes the next victim of a blood-hungry monster.

Nahtok, a powerful wizard with the desert tribes of Shem under his command, now looks to expand his motley empire northward into the politically unstable Koth--where Koth's leaders are more likely to kill each other on the battlefield than join together to face a common foe. The only thing standing in Nahtok's way is the small border kingdom of Khoraja and their battered military forces, now led by the inexperienced Princess Yasmela. Amalric's mercenaries--with Conan still riding among their numbers--are charged with reinforcing Yasmela's depleted army, as the conquering Nahtok draws near and Yasmela is haunted by both evil threats and holy visions. Tim Truman, Tomas Giorello, and Jose Villarrubia continue their adaptation of Robert E. Howard's "Black Colossus," a chilling Robert E. Howard tale that finds Conan at a strange crossroads in his mercenary career and on the path to the largest-scale battle of his life, as a clash between Nahtok and Amalric's men appears inevitable!

DOMO FUN TIME MAGNET SET

On sale Mar 1820-piece set, packaged on a backing board$19.99

With the Domo Fun Time Magnet Set, you can have oodles of enjoyment mixing and matching Domo's accessories. A snorkeling guitarist Domo? A golfing skateboarder Domo? Why not? Just remember---, it's Fun Time!

DOMO COLOR-CHANGING MUG

On sale Mar 1811 oz. mug, packaged in a full-color box$14.99

Domo and nature--the two go hand in hand. Well, step right up and pour yourself a hot cup o' tea and you will find that Domo apparently has ingested something that does not agree with him. As hot liquid is poured in the mug, Domo passes a pretty pink cloud of gas that, although natural as a summer breeze, does not sit well with his natural surroundings.

FRANK MILLER: THE SPIRIT STORYBOARDS

Frank Miller (W/A)

On sale May 6FC, 360 pages$49.95HC, 11" x 8 1/2"

Filled cover to cover with never-before-seen artwork by the biggest name in contemporary comics, Frank Miller: The Spirit Storyboards takes you inside the creative process behind this winter's coolest comic-book blockbuster!

Presenting all of Miller's hand-drawn storyboard artwork for The Spirit--almost seven hundred individual pieces of art in total--alongside his screenplay for the film, this volume is the most exhaustive exploration ever published of this comic-book legend's creative process. Witness the evolution from idea to page to screen as this exhaustive chronicle gives you a front-row view of a master at work.

- With close to seven hundred pieces of new Frank Miller art, this book is an essential addition to the library of every fan of Frank Miller or of Will Eisner's The Spirit!

- There are over 250,000 copies of Frank Miller's 300 in circulation!

GIGANTIC #5

Rick Remender (W), Eric Nguyen (P), Matthew Wilson (C)

On sale March 25FC, 32 pages$3.50Ongoing

With Earth about to be canceled and the universe at war, can Gigantic overcome the planet masher, Gunro Leviathan Combatant?! Galactic monster battles the likes of which have never been seen! Death/love broadcasting across the cosmic stage with the hearts of all living beings up for grabs! Fancy creators of critical distinction, Rick Remender and Eric Nguyen bring the first arc of their hit series to its pulse-pounding conclusion as Gigantic finds himself standing between the two simulcast networks that control all of space/time!

THE GOON #32: 10th ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

Eric Powell (W/A) and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale Mar 4FC, 48 pages$3.99Ongoing

The Goon's tenth anniversary is upon us! To celebrate, we present this special Goon Anniversary issue, picking up right where Goon Year left off--featuring thirty-two pages of story from creator Eric Powell, and a sketchbook section with contributions from Eric's comic-creator heroes--Mike Mignola! Jeff Smith! Kevin Nowlan! And more!

Put on your party hats for some merriment worthy of this Eisner Award-winning series. (And don't worry we won't forget the funny bits just 'cause this is a serious and special occasion!)

The Queen of Blood is rallying her monstrous army and preparing to march against the human race, and humanity's survival depends on Hellboy and Alice finding a supernatural army of their own. But the monsters Hellboy has killed over the years had powerful friends, and a vicious horde out for revenge has lured the pair into a trap. Now Hellboy and Alice's only hope for survival rests with three strange little birds, and their even stranger mistress.

- Hot on the heels of the 2008 summer film release Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo reunite with Hellboy: The Wild Hunt to follow up on the events of their best-selling 2007 series Hellboy: Darkness Calls.- This issue also includes a backup story written by Mike Mignola and drawn by B.P.R.D. artist Guy Davis!

KULL #5 (of 6)

Arvid Nelson (W), Will Conrad (A), and Jose Villarrubia (C)

On sale March 4FC, 32 pages$2.99Miniseries

Still recovering from last issue's surprise battle, King Kull is on edge and eager to find the snake-men who may still be hidden in his court and throughout Valusia's City of Wonders. The Great Serpent cult is far from defeated, and their reach is long. With one treaty falling apart, a powerful ally in danger, and his trusted friend, Brule, doubting his latest commands, Kull must plan his next move carefully--and now constantly watch his back for traitors! Arvid Nelson (Rex Mundi, Joker's Asylum), Will Conrad (Serenity, Conan and the Midnight God), and Jose Villarrubia (Conan the Cimmerian, Ghost Rider) expand upon the events in Robert E. Howard's short story, "The Shadow Kingdom," to show what happens right after Kull exposes the threat of the scheming snake-men in his kingdom!

THE KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE VOLUME 9

Eiji Otsuka (W) and Housui Yamazaki (A)

On sale May 13b&w, 216 pages$10.95TPB, 5" x 7"

Heads up! That's what the Kurosagi crew sees floating in midair . . . above a moving motorcycle! But this headless horseman in reverse is linked to a corpse that can be smelled and felt . . . but not seen! Then, the mystery moves from sight to sound, as the last words of an elderly veteran reveal the hideous crime behind a secret program of World War II--whose effects can still be heard . . .

- Writer Eiji Otsuka is best known for his unnerving thriller MPD-Psycho (now out from Dark Horse!), an eleven-volume series adapted for television by Takashi Miike, director of the notorious film Audition.

Containing the never-before-collected Marge's Little Lulu #88-#93 in full color, this volume features masterworks by comic-book legends John Stanley and Irving Tripp that haven't been seen since they first hit spinner racks over fifty years ago!

Perfect for anyone who loves to laugh, these timeless tales of Lulu Moppet, Tubby Tompkins, and the rest of the neighborhood kids will be appreciated by adults and children alike for the unrivaled quality of their craft and hilarity of their hijinks!

- For the first time anywhere, Dark Horse presents two hundred pages of classic Little Lulu comics in their original colors for a paltry $14.95!

MISTER X: CONDEMNED #4 (of 4)

Dean Motter (W/A)

On sale March 25FC, 24 pages$3.50Miniseries

Comic-book and graphic-design legend Dean Motter brings his visionary new take on his classic creation to its shocking conclusion in part four of Mister X: Condemned!

A building full of dead architects. A serial killer walking the streets. A metropolis plagued by insomnia, sleepwalking, and madness. In the midst of citywide turmoil, is the unsleeping architect Mister X any closer to solving the problems that haunt Somnopolis? Can all the plans and blueprints he's collected actually save the "City of Nightmares"?

- "Mister X serves as both futuristic fantasy and social satire and is recommended to all who find graphic novels an exciting literary/visual genre." --Rock Express

SIMPSONS CLASSIC CHARACTER #1: HOMER SIMPSON

On sale May 6Packaged in a special litho-printed full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and bookletLimited edition of 950 numbered pieces$49.95

Inspired by the Syroco statues of the 1940s, Dark Horse's series of "Classic Comic" statuettes has been a huge success. Sculpted with flair and grace at Yoe! Studios, nearly one hundred different characters have been produced thus far, with most editions selling out upon publication.

While the statuettes in the series were originally based on characters from newspaper strips, in this companion series Dark Horse is featuring its uniquely "primitive but charming" treatment on one of the modern era's most iconic, if dysfunctional, families-- the Simpsons. We are excited to present one of contemporary pop culture's most beloved cast of crazies, starting with guess who? If you surmised it was Homer, then give yourself a big "d'oh" and a sprinkled donut.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS--THE WIND RAIDERS OF TALORAAN

John Ostrander (W) and Wayne Lo (A)

On sale May 27FC, 96 pages$7.95TPB, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2"

Jedi Knights Anakin and Obi-Wan, with Padawan Ahsoka, travel to the planet Taloraan in hopes of gaining some useful allies for the Republic. But the two ruling groups on the planet are not particularly interested in making a treaty--the Defrandi are already more sympathetic toward the Separatists, and the Wind Raiders are simply unfriendly to everyone!

It may be a merely impossible mission for the Jedi, or one that might end in disaster!

- Inspired by the new film and television show The Clone Wars.

- The Dark Horse series Star Wars: The Clone Wars are designed to be "parent friendly" and should be a staple of any Younger Readers graphic-novel section!

Zayne and Gryph--now partners in "crime"--along with Jarael and Rohlan, prepare to rip off the big-business world of sport dueling. Gryph has himself in the perfect position for the con, until Zayne enters himself into the Open, Jarael becomes oddly distracted, and even Rohlan finds himself taking part in the duels. If that weren't enough, veteran warrior Goethar Kleej inexplicably forces upon Zayne an incredible handicap . . .

Fugitive Padawan Zayne Carrick's quest to clear his name is finally concluded in this novel-length story!

Zayne and his con-artist companion Gryph commit to a new course in exposing the dark actions of the secret Jedi Covenant. Yet doing so takes them not only to the homeworld of one of Zayne's murdering Masters, but into the most highly guarded place on the planet--a storehouse of Sith artifacts! But his days as a renegade won't end there! Zayne's search for justice will continue to Coruscant, where he'll confront his Master, Lucien Draay, and the members of the Jedi Covenant in a showdown that will end his days as a fugitive in one way . . . or another.

- Continues the story set nearly four thousand years before the rise of the Empire and the fall of Anakin Skywalker (and seven years prior to the events in the Knights of the Old Republic video game).

- Combined sales of the first four volumes of the Dark Horse Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic series have reached over 75,000 copies!

STAR WARS: LEGACY #34--STORMS part 1 (of 2)

John Ostrander (W), Brad Anderson (C)

On sale March 25FC, 40 pages$2.99Ongoing

After their climactic battle against Darth Krayt, Cade and his crew are hurtling through a lightning storm with mortally wounded Imperial Knight Azlyn Rae and Jedi Knight Shado Vao. They hope to reach the planet Kiffer, where Bantha Rawk might help with Cade's seemingly impossible plan to save Azlyn. The Sith, too, are handling the aftermath of the battle on Had Abbadon. Some will awaken to find the battle did not end as they believed . . .

TARZAN: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS VOLUME 1

Robert P. Thompson (W), Gaylord DuBois (W), and Jesse Marsh (A)

On sale Feb 25FC, 256 pages$49.95HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

Dark Horse Archives is proud to present the first four issues of this influential Golden Age series in a handsome hardcover--kicking off a comprehensive program that will collect the first nineteen years of the classic title!

In 1947, artist Jesse Marsh left Walt Disney Studios--where he had worked on Pinocchio, Fantasia, and various animated shorts--to work for Western Publishing full time. Tarzan was one of his first assignments, with the iconic character's first original comic-book appearance in Dell Four-Color Comics #134. Tarzan #2 would begin Marsh's long-term collaboration with writer Gaylord DuBois. Their terrific work drew admiration and respect from readers and peers--Russ Manning among them--and Marsh's art inspired future comics creators from Richard Corben to Los Bros. Hernandez!

TARZAN: THE JESSE MARSH YEARS VOLUME 2

Gaylord DuBois (W) and Jesse Marsh (A)

On sale May 20FC, 224 pages$49.95HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

The original Tarzan comics are finally back in print after sixty years! This second volume reproduces six big Golden Age issues for readers new and old to enjoy, and all stories are by the dynamite team of Gaylord DuBois and Jesse Marsh.

DuBois and Marsh's nineteen-year collaboration on Tarzan produced a legendary body of work and an enduring vision of one of the world's foremost adventure icons. Marsh's art enthralled an entire generation of comics readers, influencing future creators the Hernandez brothers and earning the acclaim of such fellow professionals as Russ Manning and Alex Toth!

- Reproducing the now hard-to-find and pricey issues for fans and collectors alike, this archive series will collect the entirety of Jesse Marsh's career-defining work for the first time.

- "If I collected anybody, it was Jesse Marsh's Tarzan books. I collected those for years, and he was one of my stars." --Richard Corben

THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: DALLAS #5 (of 6)

Gerard Way (W), Gabriel Ba (P), and Dave Stewart (C)

On sale March 25FC, 32 pages$2.99Miniseries

Propelled by nuclear armageddon, The Seance, Spaceboy, and The Kraken race through time to solve the mystery of Number Five's past, and find themselves thrown into the turmoil of war, assassination, and strange visitations into their own childhoods.

This imaginative series nears the conclusion of its second story arc--Dallas, in which the history of the United States is radically rewritten, and not a thing is changed.

- Apocalypse Suite, the first arc of The Umbrella Academy has won the following awards:

2008 Eisner Award for Best Limited Series2008 Eisner Award for Best Cover Artist2008 Harvey Award for Best new Series

- Winner of the 2008 Scream Award for Best Comic Book Artist.

USAGI YOJIMBO #119

Stan Sakai (W/A)

On sale March 25b&w, 24 pages$3.50Ongoing

Over the years of his warrior pilgrimage, Usagi has faced all manner of bandits, assassins, conspirators, ninja, and monsters, but now he finds himself up against a new threat: zombies!

As Usagi and Sasuke battle to release Kitsune from the enchantment of the wizard Hatakeyama, the power of the netsuke amulet takes effect, and dead warriors from a battle three hundred years past return to life. With the proper incantations they can be controlled; otherwise they are drawn blindly to the amulet and will kill whoever has possession of it--in this case, Usagi!

- This issue features a special wraparound cover!

WILL EISNER'S THE SPIRIT: THE NEW ADVENTURES ARCHIVES

Various (W/A)

On sale May 20FC, 200 pages$49.95HC, 6 5/8" x 10 3/16"

In 1997, almost six decades after the character's first appearance in 1940, legendary artist and writer Will Eisner gave permission for a new series of stories to be commissioned featuring his signature creation, resurrected detective Denny Colt, also known as the Spirit, written and drawn by the most famous names in the comics industry. The call went out, and the response was nothing short of remarkable, with contributions from such creators as Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons (in one of their rare collaborations since Watchmen), Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), Paul Chadwick (Concrete), and Eddie Campbell (From Hell), amongst others.

In these pages you'll find new tales of Central City's protector versus familiar villains such as the Octopus and Sand Saref; witness his undying love for Ellen Dolan, daughter of Commissioner Dolan, the only man to know his secret identity; and glimpse what might be the Spirit's fate in an uncertain future.

Dark Horse Comics presents this second hardbound collection of David Malki's nationally syndicated Wondermark, a sarcastic, silly, and razor-sharp gag comic strip created entirely from nineteenth century woodcuts and engravings. A follow-up to 2008's critically acclaimed Beards of our Forefathers, Clever Tricks to Stave Off Death contains over one hundred comic strips originally published in The Onion and on wondermark.com, as well as many pages of additional material--such as Malki's eight-page graphic story "Ransom!" and, as promised, a bevy of techniques intended to help the reader delay the inevitable onset of their own demise--written and designed in Malki's trademark hilarious style.

- New installments of Wondermark appear twice weekly at http://wondermark.com/, along with a hilarious blog from David Malki! The Wondermark site enjoys over 172,000 unique visitors per month.

- Wondermark is nationally syndicated in the print edition of The Onion, enjoying a circulation of over 700,000!

- There is a rapidly expanding audience for webcomics; fans of Perry Bible Fellowship and Achewood will want to buy this book.